LibraryReads: April 2026

       

 It's LibraryReads day and that means four things here on RA for All

1. I post the list and tag it “Library Reads” so that you can easily pull up every single list with one click.
2. I can remind you that even though the newest list is always fun to see, it is the older lists where you can find AWESOME, sure bet suggestions for patrons that will be on your shelf to actually hand to them right now. The best thing about LibraryReads is the compound interest it is earning. We now have hundreds and hundreds of titles worth suggesting right at our fingertips through this archive OR the sortable master list allowing you to mix and match however you want.
3. You have no excuse not to hand sell any LibraryReads titles because there is a book talk right there in the list in the form of the annotation one of your colleagues wrote for you. All you have to say to your patron is, “such and such library worker in blank state thought this was a great read,” and then you read what he or she said.
4. Every upcoming book now has at least 1 readalike that is available to hand out RIGHT NOW. Book talk the upcoming book, place a hold for it, and then hand out that readalike title for while they wait. If they need more titles before their hold comes in, use the readalike title to identify more readalike titles. And then keep repeating. Seriously, it is that easy to have happy, satisfied readers.

So get out there and suggest a good read to someone today. I don’t care what list or resource you use to find the suggestion, just start suggesting books.

Please remember to click here for everything you need to know about how to participate. 

And finally, here is LibraryReads' extremely helpful Resources page.

Now let's get to the April 2026 list.... 

Burke, Caro Claire    

Yesteryear: A Novel    

Knopf    

Natalie is an influencer with a seemingly perfect life: 6 perfect children, a perfect, if simple, husband, and a perfectly beautiful Idaho farm. Never mind the dozens of workers who actually run the farm, the nannies who care for the children. And never mind the “Angry Women” online who are jealous that Natalie can afford to be a trad wife who serves her family and, most importantly, her God. Natalie wakes one morning in her house...except it's not her house—electricity has been replaced by a fire, her children are dirty, and her husband is old and gruff. Where are the hidden cameras? Where is her real family? Creative, mind-bending, and incredibly well-written, this one is sure to be a blockbuster.

—Jenny Davies, Oak Creek Public Library, WI

NoveList read-alike: T he Influencers by Anna-Marie McLemore

Now the rest of the list...

Baker, Kylie Lee    

Japanese Gothic    

Hanover Square Press    

A troubled young man in 2026 begins communicating with the ghost of a female samurai from 1877 when he visits his father's new home in Japan. Both hold bloody secrets. A gory and suspenseful horror read that combines lyrical, dream-like writing with a compelling story of past meeting present.    

—Mara Bandy Fass, Champaign Public Library, IL

NoveList read-alike: The Fervor by Alma Katsu

Clarke, Evelyn    

The Ending Writes Itself   

Harper    

An oft-used trope—people lured to a remote island, then cut off from the outside world—gets a new life. Six writers, following the death of their famous host, must compete to finish his final manuscript for a massive payday. While hesitant at first, the competition soon becomes intense, no one is quite who they seem to be, and death stalks the halls. A wonderfully twisty mystery and a wickedly satirical look at the world of publishing.

—Beth Mills, New Rochelle Public Library, NY

NoveList read-alike: You Are F atally Invited by Ande Pliego

Corrigan, Moorea    

Thistlemarsh        

Berkley    

WWI nurse Mouse receives notice that she is next in line to inherit the Faerie-blessed Thistlemarsh Hall in the English countryside. But she must do the impossible: fix the crumbling manor in just one month with the surprise aid of a handsome Faerie who can help defeat the magic protecting the manor.  Fantastic atmospheric style, world-building elements, and sympathetic characters.  

—Kristin Skinner, Flat River Community Library, MI

NoveList read-alike: The Cottingly Secret by Hazel Gaynor

Cowan, Anna    

The Duke        

St. Martin's Griffin    

 

The romance between Celine and Kate is fraught with obstacles (mostly themselves) and the secret they are keeping from the ton: that Celine is a courtesan who is blackmailing Kate, a member of the House of Lords. A traditional historical full of yearning and intrigue, this is what every Sapphic Regency reader has been waiting for.

—Dontaná M., Oak Park Public Library, IL

NoveList read-alike: A Lady for All Seasons by T.J. Alexander

Grey, Emma    

Start at the End       

Zibby Publishing    

A thoughtful, emotionally resonant novel that will appeal to readers who enjoy stories about love, loss, and new beginnings. This “sliding-doors” novel balances tenderness and hope, offering a meaningful reading experience that lingers after the final page. An excellent choice for patrons who enjoy contemporary literary fiction and book club–worthy reads.

—Janie Hermann, Princeton Public Library, NJ

NoveList read-alike: What Might Have Been by Holly Miller

Keefe, Patrick Radden    

London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family's Search for Truth

Doubleday    

In November 2019, the lifeless body of teenager Zac Brettler was discovered in the Thames River. Police conclude that Zac was suicidal but his parents believe that something more nefarious led to his death and soon discover he was caught in a web of lies, surrounded by gangsters and criminals. Compelling narrative non-fiction that's deeply intimate and unnerving.

—KC Davis, LibraryReads Ambassador, CT

NoveList read-alike: Butler to the World by Oliver Bullough

Kim, Monika    

Molka        

Erewhon Books (Kensington)  

Dahye lives in the shadow of her late older sister, more perfect than she could ever be. She finds herself in a relationship with a rich, handsome man. But when a video scandal involving the two erupts, he flees the country, leaving Dahye alone. When she realizes the extent of the betrayal, she seeks a terrible bloody revenge. An unapologetic dive into female rage, exploitation, misogyny, and powerlessness. 

—Lila Denning, St. Petersburg Library System, FL

NoveList read-alike: My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

Kliewer, Marcus    

The Caretaker   

Atria/12:01 Books    

Macy thinks she’s finally caught a break when she answers an ad for a weekend house-sitting gig that pays a ridiculous amount of money, even if it comes with some...unsettling instructions.  Unsettling turns eerie, which turns to horrifying as Macy realizes—too late—this is one job that she should have never accepted. The chills ramp up fast and never stop in this page-turner horror novel.

—Sharon Layburn, South Huntington Public Library, NY

NoveList read-alike: The Spite House by Johnny Compton

Semple, Maria    

Go Gentle        

Putnam    

Adora is an Upper West Side philosopher who seems to have her life together. She practices stoicism, and it keeps her grounded and happy—until it doesn't. Who is the mysterious man who wants her to deliver a letter? What are her employers up to? How did she become a stoic? Readers follow along with Adora as she tries to find answers.

—Joan Hipp, LibraryReads Ambassador, NJ

NoveList read-alike: Crush by Ada Calhoun

Board Bonus picks:

Vlautin, Willy
The Left and the Lucky 

Harper 

Notable Nonfiction: 

Stark, Peter

The Lost Cities of El Norte: Coronado’s Quest, the Unconquered West, and the Birth of American Indian Resistance

Mariner Books

See our social media for annotations of the bonus picks

Click here to see the entire Hall of Fame

The LibraryReads Hall of Fame designation honors authors who have had multiple titles appear on the monthly LibraryReads list since 2013. When their third title places on the list via library staff votes, the author moves into the Hall of Fame. Click here to see the Hall of Fame authors organized in alpha order. Please note, the current year's Hall of Fame lists are pulled out at the top of the page.

Clayborn, Kate   

The Paris Match        

Berkley    

  

Hepworth, Sally   

Mad Mabel    

St. Martin's Press        

Klune, TJ    

We Burned So Bright        

Tor Books    

9781250881236    

4/28/2026    

Liese, Chloe    

Happy Ending        

Gallery Books    

O'Leary, Beth    

The Name Game        

Berkley 

 

Perrin, Kristen    

How to Cheat Your Own Death: A Novel    

Dutton      

Richardson, Kim Michele    

The Mountains We Call Home: The Book Woman's Legacy    

Sourcebooks Landmark   

Rowell, Rainbow    

Cherry Baby

William Morrow     

Shaffer, Meg    

The Book Witch: A Novel    

Ballantine Books    

 

Straub, Emma    

American Fantasy: A Novel   

Riverhead Books    

What Was Lost: A Queer Accounting of the NY Times Book Review, 2013-2022 via LitHub

I was never a fan of Pamela Paul when she ran the New York Times Book Review. And since she has been gone, not only has the publication and NYT books coverage in general improved greatly, but Paul revealed herself to be quite anti-queer. This led author Sandy Ernest Allen to organize thirteen Trans and Queer writers to review thirteen essential books by Queer and Trans writers. From the introduction of this project:

“Goodbye, Pamela Paul,” was the headline of Andrea Long Chu’s now-iconic, recently ASME-nominated New York Magazine farewell to the former NY Times Book Revieweditor, when Paul left the paper two years ago. For a little background, Paul was named editor of the NYTBR in 2013 and took over books coverage for the entire paper in 2016, effectively becoming the most powerful editor in literary criticism. In 2022 she moved to the paper’s opinion pages to publish her own ideas about the world, many of which became political lightning rods in a publishing community that had for years been beholden to her editorial decisions. 

Particularly infamous was one explicitly anti-trans essay from July, 2022, which was widelycriticized at the time. It also had many people wondering how Paul’s politics might have come into play in her decisions as the most important books editor in the world.
So at some point I began dreaming up an idea: to commission a whole package of reviews of books by trans and queer authors, folks whose projects weren’t covered by the NYT under Paul’s reign. I asked Maris Kreizman to collaborate and to my delight, she agreed. What followed became an exercise in thinking through what is lost—and perhaps can never be regained—when transphobes and their enablers rise to prominence as our most powerful cultural gatekeepers.

So, to the nuts and bolts of this project. First of all, the volume of seemingly great books published by queer and trans authors between 2013 and 2022, and not covered by the NYT,was intimidating. It took Maris and me a while to work through the many great pitches we received and arrive at our final lucky number of 13. (Funnily enough, in actually trying to commission these reviews, I felt surprising sympathy for book review editors like Paul who are no doubt constantly buried in new titles to consider.) 

Our effort here offers reviews of a mere sliver of all those titles we might have covered, many of which would be worthy of inclusion if we had limitless time and resources. I’m immensely grateful to all who submitted ideas, especially to all the fellow authors who wrote to tell us about their books (some were even writers I’d call heroes). My to-be-read pile is now, as ever, impossibly tall. 

On a personal note, this entire project has made me feel much less alone. I feel more connected to other trans and/or queer writers, who are doing this work despite the shitty odds we face, despite our society’s continued denial of our full humanity, despite the efforts to ban our words and to decimate our entire lives, despite the media and publishing industry’s failure to actually reckon with—let alone correct for—any of this. 

What follows is hardly meant to be comprehensive. I hope it inspires others to write their own reviews of whatever books they’d wish might be covered. I’d love teachers to assign this as a group project to writing classes, as I’ve heard of at least one doing already. I hope this project won’t be perceived as anything except the start of a conversation—one I feel everyone with stakes in this must join us in having. 

–Sandy Ernest Allen

What follows are 13 standalone reviews of those titles Allen gathered.  Click here to go in and read it all. It includes a book I gave a starred review to when it first came out--Manhunt by Gretchen Felker-Martin 

This is a wonderful anti-erasure project. A reclaiming of lost voices by those who are part of the community who shares that voice. It is full of joy. It is powerful as a project, but the kicker is, the books and the reviews are GREAT. 

I hope you go through this article and read the reviews and make a notation of the titles. These are titles that stood the test of time even without a NYT review. You should check your collections to see if you have these titles. And if you are a library that needs a review to order something, now you have one. If you are a library that cannot add older titles without new interest (like BookTok), a new edition, or a new review, well again, now you have a reason to add these titles. And it is from a major resource. 

If you are a library where you are being told to not add Queer titles for fear of people causing trouble over them...well to you I say, that is a form of censorship. You are no better than those trying to stop others from reading books they disagree with. In fact, in my opinion, not ordering something because you "don't want trouble" is even worse. Why? Because you know better and suppressing access is suppressing access no matter who engages in said suppression. Full Stop.

Sit with that for a moment and then go order these books.

Click here to read the entire project.

Books in the Freezer Summer Scares Episode with Konrad Stump and Jennifer McMahon (Plus a Booklist Webinar Reminder)

Books in the Freezer is the official podcast partner of Summer Scares. This past week,   the host, Stephanie, had Konrad Stump, my Summer Scares and HWA Libraries Committee Co-Chair, and Jennifer McMahon, our 2026 Spokesperson, on to talk about the program in general and this year's titles in particular.

You can listen and get access to the show notes here. Or wherever you listen to podcasts. I have also added a direct link to the Summer Scares Resource Page.

You can also use this link to go back and listen to the Books in the Freezer Podcasts Stephanie has centered around Summer Scares from previous years as well. 

And since you are here, reading this post about Summer Scares resources, I wanted to also remind you that our series of FREE webinars centered around each age level of Summer Scares begin today!

• Thursday, March 12, 2026, at 2pm Eastern, featuring our Middle-Grade authors and moderated by Julia Smith. Click here to register.
• Monday, March 23, 2026, at 2pm Eastern, featuring our Young Adult authors and moderated by Kelly Jensen. Click here to register.
• Thursday, March 26, 2026, at 2pm Eastern, featuring our Adult authors and moderated by Jennifer McMahon. Click here to register.

And if you cannot make it, do not worry. Recordings will be available for on demand viewing after the live events at https://www.booklistonline.com/webinars-archive.

I will be in the background of each webinar to answer any questions you have about the program as well.

We are all in the thick of Summer Reading planning and Summer Scares is here to help make it easy for you to incorporate Horror into those plans. And remember, if you are using iREAD, we have 1 book per age level that is directly connected to their 2026 theme-- Plant a Seed, Read.

Reach out to libraries at horror dot org with questions of if you want help connecting our Summer Scares authors with your libraries.